Mahajanga climate
Mahajanga (Madagascar) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C80 °F, and about 1,457 mm57 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mahajanga climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2983 | 2780 | 2882 | 46918 |
| Feb | 2984 | 2780 | 2882 | 28111 |
| Mar | 2985 | 2780 | 2882 | 2048.0 |
| Apr | 2985 | 2679 | 2882 | 702.8 |
| May | 2984 | 2475 | 2680 | 180.7 |
| Jun | 2883 | 2272 | 2577 | 150.6 |
| Jul | 2882 | 2170 | 2576 | 180.7 |
| Aug | 2983 | 2271 | 2577 | 110.4 |
| Sep | 2985 | 2373 | 2679 | 110.4 |
| Oct | 3086 | 2476 | 2781 | 271.1 |
| Nov | 3086 | 2679 | 2882 | 1084.2 |
| Dec | 2985 | 2780 | 2882 | 2258.9 |
| Year | 3086 | 2170 | 2780 | 1,45757 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 80% | 5.6 | 12:58 |
| Feb | 81% | 75% | 5.8 | 12:38 |
| Mar | 80% | 62% | 6.0 | 12:13 |
| Apr | 76% | 39% | 5.9 | 11:46 |
| May | 74% | 29% | 5.3 | 11:23 |
| Jun | 71% | 31% | 4.9 | 11:12 |
| Jul | 69% | 33% | 5.1 | 11:17 |
| Aug | 67% | 28% | 5.8 | 11:35 |
| Sep | 66% | 22% | 6.7 | 12:02 |
| Oct | 68% | 25% | 7.2 | 12:29 |
| Nov | 72% | 44% | 6.9 | 12:52 |
| Dec | 77% | 66% | 6.2 | 13:03 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Mahajanga is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 29 °C85 °F and a low of 27 °C80 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 28 °C82 °F and lows 21 °C70 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.4 °C6.1 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,457 mm57 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 67% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is January (469 mm18 in), the driest is August (11 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 66% in September to 82% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 22%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 12 km/h (7 mph) in March to 16 km/h (10 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in June to 13.1 hours in December.
Best time to visit Mahajanga
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–October: average highs of 28 °C82 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 11 mm0.4 in to 27 mm1.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (469 mm18 in) and humid (82% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Mahajanga
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs around 29 °C83 °F, lows around 27 °C80 °F, about 295 mm12 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (April–November) — highs 2882 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 2170 to 26 °C79 °F, about 35 mm1.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Mahajanga compares
Compared with Antananarivo, about 378 km to the south, Mahajanga is on average 9.3 °C16.7 °F warmer and receives 39% less precipitation (1,457 mm57 in vs 2,383 mm94 in). The difference is largest in July (11.2 °C20.2 °F warmer).
Of the 7 places in Madagascar covered by World Climates, Mahajanga is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Madagascar climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Mamoudzou (Mayotte, Aw), Angoche (Mozambique, Aw) and Pemba (Mozambique, Aw).
Nearby places
- Mamoudzou 347 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,003 mm39 in
- Antananarivo 378 km · 18 °C64 °F · 2,383 mm94 in
- Toamasina 425 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,952 mm77 in
- Antsirabe 468 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,910 mm75 in
- Antsiranana 496 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,104 mm43 in
- Moroni 556 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,020 mm40 in
- Nacala 618 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,175 mm46 in
- Fianarantsoa 643 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,774 mm70 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mahajanga?
December is the warmest month in Mahajanga, with an average high of 29 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (80 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mahajanga?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mahajanga?
January is the wettest month with about 469 mm (18.5 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 11 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Mahajanga?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.